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Monday, March 13, 2017

Step by Step by K.C. Wells

Jamie’s life is one big financial mess, and it really isn’t
his fault. However, the last thing he expected to find in the library was a
Good Samaritan. He might have been suspicious of Guy’s motives at first, but it
soon becomes apparent that his savior is a good man who has been lucky in life
and is looking to pay it forward. Guy being gay is not a problem. Jamie’s not
interested… or so he thinks.

Guy is happy to help Jamie, and the two men get along fine. But when Jamie’s
curiosity leads him from one thing to another, Guy finds himself looking at the
young man with new eyes. What started out as a hand up is now something
completely different…

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
I was completely and totally absorbed by this book. It is definitely one of my
rare single sitting books. One evening, two glasses of wine, and I didn’t move
from the sofa until I finished the last page.

I loved Jamie. When we meet him, he is a brilliant student. Burdened by student
debt, he unable to pay his next tuition fees and about to be evicted. He’s also
desperate enough to trust a stranger offering an arrangement that is far too
good to be true. Guy is equally fabulous. The wealthy entrepreneur was once an
equally broke student and he is determined to pay forward the favour someone
very special once paid him.

The age and power gap did make me queasy at the start of this story. The
arrangement between Guy and Jamie gives Guy far too much power over a very
young and very vulnerable man. Somehow, the author made me trust Guy just about
the time Jamie decides he can trust his benefactor. There are still some
awkward moments, but they aren’t whitewashed and the author doesn’t cheapen the
relationship by making it too easy.

I often struggle with gay-for-you storylines but Jamie is young enough, focused
enough, and oblivious enough for me to believe in his sexual awakening. Jamie
is also a believable Millennial in San Francisco. He isn’t plagued by angst or
guilt over his sexuality. He talks about it, seeks some advice from an open
friend, and gets on with living. In many ways, this is a classic bildungsroman
that explores Jamie’s maturation from child to adult. I loved watching his
confidence and trust develop through the story.

I have to fan girl just a little bit over this story. I love the San Francisco
setting, the diverse supporting characters, and the sweet, charming
relationship that slowly builds between this unlikely couple. I loved this
book!

Born and raised in the northwest of England, K.C. WELLS always loved writing.
Words were important. Full stop. However, when childhood gave way to adulthood,
the writing ceased, as life got in the way.

K.C. discovered erotic fiction in 2009, when the purchase of a ménage storyline
led to the startling discovery that reading about men in love was damn hot. In 2012,
arriving at a really low point in life led to the desperate need to do
something creative. An even bigger discovery waited in the wings—writing about
men in love was even hotter…

K.C. now writes full-time and is loving every minute of her new career.

The laptop still has no idea of what hit it… it only knows that it wants a
rest, please. And it now has to get used to the idea that where K.C. goes, it
goes.

And as for those men in love that she writes about? The list of stories just
waiting to be written is getting longer… and longer…

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